BOSTON -- Walker D. Russell Jr. might be the only current
Pistons player who understands what the Boston Celtics have put Detroit pro basketball
fans through over the years.

Russell grew up in Rochester and his dad spent four seasons
with the Pistons back in the 1980s.

So he lived through the heated Pistons-Celtics rivalry that began in the
1980s and involved the likes of Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, Larry Bird, Kevin
McHale and Robert Parish.

Naturally, Russell was never much of a Celtics' fan growing
up although he didn't despise them like a lot of Pistons fans did when the
teams first began battling for Eastern Conference supremacy more than 20 years
ago.

"I really wouldn't say dislike but when you're a Pistons fan
it's definitely one of the teams that was always giving the Pistons a little
trouble," Russell said. "You were rooting for Detroit.

"They always went at it like enemies on the court."

Although he played in Boston during a preseason game with the
Knicks, Wednesday marked Russell's first visit during the regular season.

And even though TD Garden isn't the old Boston Garden,
Russell said it's still a special place.

"It's a great, great tradition here," he said. "It's an
honor. I always wanted to play against the Celtics. Who wouldn't? That's one of
the richest traditions in the NBA. It's always an honor to come in here and
play, see the banners.

"There are lots of places in the NBA. But this has one of
the richest, healthiest traditions in the NBA."